For Him I would
by xXUr-RawR-BuddyXx
Summary: Ludwig is new to a small town with a melting pot of a school where he meets an outgoing Feliciano. When he learns Feliciano's past, will Ludwig be willing to follow the rules that Arthur Kirkland and his posse gave him, or will he break them in order to save Feliciano. T for mild language.
1. Chapter 1

_**Hey guys! I've decided to remake the first chapter, so here it is! still the same, only a few revisions and edits.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

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Ch 1

No one would notice it if their mind was a scattered, dismantled puzzle, occupied; the feathery breeze that gently brushed the leaves, barely nudging them about.

Ludwig noticed the small breeze that softly glided over his skin and smiled as he strode over to a bench at the local park near the new bakery his grandfather opened in this lovely little town, worth much more than the monochromatic city they moved in from.

Ludwig sat down and opened the book he recently checked out at the public library. It was a manual on how to play soccer. _"Soccer? What an odd name for football,"_ Ludwig thought. He wanted to know more on the sport because his grandfather and older brother were "experts" in this "soccer", and he wanted to quickly get to their level. Shoving his nose into the book, Ludwig heard the hollow thud of a soccer ball being kicked and the laugh of a teenage boy. Ludwig adjusted his reading glasses and focused in on the book...

_THUNK_

THe glasses skidded across the concrete as Ludwig's face was planted into the book. He heard and "Oh my god!" and an apology- a rather desperate one.

"Oh Mister! We're so sorry! We didn't mean it!" the boy cried in an Italian accent. He had auburn hair, golden eyes, an unruly curl coming up on the left side of his head, and an innocent-looking face. He also had an aura of airiness. Another teenager walked up and he looked slightly irritated. His features were similar to the boy, but his hair was darker and it appears that hardship affected his young face. There were bags under his eyes and a frown appeared to be sculpted onto face.

"Hey, are you alright?" the more stern one asked. He also had an italian accent. Ludwig gave him a nod and picked up his glasses and the ball.

It was a rather worn out football, the black and white pattern was wearing off. Ludwig looked up at who he assumed were brothers and gave them a sheepish smile. The innocent-looking one smiled back and picked up his book.

In a curious, tenor voice, he asked, "You don't know how to play soccer?" He stared at Ludwig with big eyes, making Ludwig feel a little embarrassed.

Ludwig cleared his throat and in his deep German voice, he replied, "Ja, I-I don't know." Ludwig shifted his eyes to the side as he felt his ears redden."I want to get as good as my grandfather and brother." THe boy began to jump up and down in excitement.

"Let us teach you!" he heard the Italian say. Ludwig looked at him with raised eyebrows. "What do you say, Lovino?" The other Italian shrugged and said whatever. "C'mon! My name is Feliciano, by the way and this is my big brother, Lovino!" Feliciano gestured towards his brother.

"I'm Ludwig."

"Yeah, yeah." Lovino said, taking the ball. "Lets play already." Ludwig smiled at Lovino's unintentional rudeness and followed the brothers to the grassy area where they were playing.

Lovino dropped the ball and began to dribble it with his feet. He then kicked it skyward towards his brother, who stopped it with his chest and kicked it towards Ludwig. The flying ball bounced off his head and he clumsily tried to save it but ended up falling backwards onto his back.

It was quiet. Only the sound of the rustling leaves and the singing birds can be heard.

Then, the sound of a child's laugh broke the silence. Feliciano held his sides as his body shook in giggles.

"You've got a long way to go!" Feliciano said, holding out his hand to help Ludwig up.

After Ludwig got up, they continued to kick the ball until the sun's rays gently kissed the darkening sky. Lovino looked at his watch and picked up the ball.

"We got to go, or Grandpa's going to worry," Lovino said. Feliciano nodded and turned to Ludwig.

"That was fun!"Feliciano chimed, giving Ludwig a crushing hug. "I hope I'll see you again, Lutz!"

"It's Ludwig," he corrected.

"Oh! I'll see you later then, Luddy!" Ludwig hasn't heard that nickname ever since his older brother left for college. A small smile grew on his face.

"See you later, Feli." The brothers turned and walked away as Ludwig watched. When they turned the corner, Ludwig began his short journey home.

On his journey back home, Ludwig noticed that the wind picked up a bit and it was now a breeze that made the leaves dance.

When Ludwig arrived, he spotted his grandfather trying to fix his truck, which has broken down the day before.

"Still having trouble, Opa?" Ludwig asked, walking up to the older man, who had the hood propped open. The man gave his grandson a sideways glance and continued to work on the engine. "Papa Heinrich?" Finally getting his grandfather's attention, Ludwig held out his hand to offer assistance. Heinrich stepped aside to allow his grandson access to the engine.

Ludwig took a few minutes examining the ancient contraption until he finally found the problem.

"You just need to add more engine oil, that's all," Ludwig said, closing the hood and wiping his hands on the rag Heinrich gave him.

"I'm losing my touch. Must be my old age. Heinrich patted his grandson's shoulder, "I'll go get that oil tomorrow. How about we pick up, then I'll have dinner ready in a bit." Ludwig nodded and helped his grandfather pick up.

Once finished, Heinrich began to prepare some wurst and he took out the knödels from the refrigerator that were left over from the night before. Ludwig sat down at the small dinner table and inspected the green and red plaid design on the tablecloth, contemplating the day.

"How was your day today?" Heinrich asked, placing two plates full of dinner on the table.

"I met two new people today at the park nearby. They taught me how to play football," Ludwig replied. "They were brothers, Italian, I'm assuming. Both seemed to be about my age." Heinrich asked where else did he go. "I went to the library and checked out a book about football." His heart dropped to his stomach as he realized that he left the book at the park. He'll have to pay the fee of a lost book: the price of the book.

"I'm such an idiot," he cried as he facepalmed, "I left the book at the park." Heinrich stared at his grandson and started to chuckle. Ludwig stared at him in surprise.

"Don't worry about it. Maybe someone found it and returned it to the library or something." Heinrich concluded his statement by taking a bit out of the wurst.

"Ja, if you say," Ludwig took a bite out of a knödel.

After a few moments of silence, Heinrich asked, "Are you ready to start school tomorrow?"

"Ja, I'm always ready for anything," Ludwig replied confidently. Heinrich acknowledged his confidence with a nod. Again, silence filled the room.

"Your brother called." Ludwig quickly looked up at this new piece of information. "He wanted to wish you good luck on your first day at school." Smiling, Ludwig shook his head. Gilbert, always treating him like a child.

"I'm not a child anymore," Ludwig thought out loud. "How is he doing in Austria?"

"He's doing good, he's having slight trouble with money, but he's slowly managing."

"I should get a job and help him," said Ludwig, finishing his wurst and wiping his mouth with a napkin. Heinrich shook his head.

"No. If you get a job, it should be for yourself," said Heinrich, muffling a burp. "Although you don't really need a job, it's good for me to know you want to be an independent young man. You're in your third year of high school and you need to either start saving up for college or look for scholarships." Heinrich used to be a doctor who worked in a hospital, but he retired when he turned 65 and decided to open up a small German bakery in this town. Ludwig always admired how hard his grandfather worked.

Ludwig looked at his grandfather with bright, sky blue eyes, and Heinrich stared back his with experienced ocean-blue ones. They stared at each other intently in understanding until Ludwig dropped his gaze onto the empty plate.

"Let me first settle down at school, okay Opa?"

Heinrich smiled while getting up to put away his dish in the sink and gave Ludwig a rough pat on the shoulder.

"Get some sleep, okay?" Nodding, Ludwig placed his dirty plate in the sink and set off upstairs to his room.

"Guten nacht, Opa," he called from his room and he heard a reply coming from downstairs.

Ludwig changed into plaid pajamas bottoms and a white t-shirt for extra sleeping comfort. He stood in front of his small, lonesome bookshelf and contemplated its contents, volumes and volumes of manuals and novels.. He was in a mood for suspense, but his tired eyes told him to go sleep so he decided to turn in for the night.

Hitting the pillows on his full size bed with warm burgundy bed sheets, his eyes fluttered shut and the last things that he thought of that night were the Italian brothers; Lovino with a frown forever on his face and the smile of innocent Feliciano.


	2. Chapter 2

Ch 2

Ludwig could not find the right word to describe the size of the school. It's definitely not "gargantuan" and it absolutely is not "minuscule." He couldn't find the right word, so he'll settle with "bigger than average." Ludwig could count ten buildings, not including the office, library, and cafeteria. One Building had a green house situated beside it. Another had a fenced off pool. If Ludwig didn't know better, he would have mistaken the campus for a rich man's land. then he remembered that this school is funded by rich men: Sir Henry Kirkland, owner of the leading tea company, and monsieur Jacques Bonnefoy, CEO of a popular wine company.

_"Generous men,"_ thought Ludwig as he received his class schedule,_ "Usually private academies have such luxuries."_

Ludwig had thirty minutes until class started, so right after he located his midnight colored locker, he began to to wander around the school, map in hand, gazing at the park like quality of the place.

Then a familiar voice floated into his ear rich with an Italian accent. It seemed to be calling his name.

"Ludwig! Luddy!" The voice was drifting from behind. "Ludwig!" He turned around and his blue eyes met golden, guiltless orbs and a gargantuan smile that managed to fit on a minuscule face.

"Oh, Feliciano!" Ludwig gave Feliciano a polite smile.

"I didn't know you came to this school!" Feliciano excitedly said, dancing up and down on the balls of his feet.

"I'm starting today," stated Ludwig, awkwardly showing him a school map. Feliciano nodded enthusiastically in understanding and pulled out a book from his backpack.

"I accidentally took this with me. I was hoping to see you soon so I could return it," Feliciano said, still wearing a semi-permanent smile on his face. He handed Ludwig a book with a football printed on the cover. Sudden relief flooded Ludwig and he sighed.

"I was wondering where I left this! I was afraid I left it at the park," Ludwig leafed through the pages.

Feliciano gave him a shy apologetic smile," I'm sorry."

Ludwig held up his hand," don't worry about it. Thank you for handing it back." Feliciano's smile changed from apologetic back to enthusiastic.

"No problem! Did you know that the author of the book is a teacher from here?"

"Really?" Ludwig looked at the author's name. "Juan Julio Rodriguez."

"He's the Spanish teacher and the soccer coach. He's a really cool teacher!"

Feliciano kept talking about the teachers as they strode around the school. their final destination was the library.

"And Mr Edelstein in the music teacher! He and miss Héderváry have a little thing going on. We're all expecting them to get married and-" Feliciano's eyes drifted from Ludwig's curious eyes to behind his shoulder where the library was. Feliciano's smile faltered a bit. He looked at his bare wrist as if to check the time one an invisible watch. "Well, look at the time! I have to go somewhere.. vague.. See ya!" Feliciano abruptly turned and briskly walked away.

"S-see ya," the suddenness of Feliciano's flight confused him. "What was that about?"

An arm slithered behind Ludwig and clasped his shoulder..

"_Bonjour_," purred a french boy with sunflower-petal locks and forget-me-not irises. "I haven't seen you around, you must be a new student." His voice was dripping in a French accent. "My name is Francis Bonnefoy."

"Bonnefoy? Surely you're related to Jacques Bonnefoy?" Ludwig asked, astonishment tinted in his tone.

"_Oui_. He is my father. Hey, Arthur! This guy knows who my father is!" Francis called out to someone behind him.

"Who doesn't know who your father is?" retorted a British accent.

"_This school is full of different accents,"_ thought Ludwig as a teenager with a head full of shaggy, blond hair, eyes the color of envy and caterpillar eyebrows walked up. Ludwig immediately recognized him from the news.

"Arthur Kirkland, heir to the Kirkland's Tea Company!" Ludwig said in awe. Arthur flashed him a nearly sarcastic smirk and nodded.

"That I am. Say, newcomer,what's your name?"

"Ludwig."

"Ludwig, Ludwig, Ludwig," Arthur savored the name, "I'm pretty sure you want to know _a lot_ about the school." Ludwig nodded. He wanted to know_ everything_ about the school.

"Well then, first the rules. You have to sign a contract promising you'll follow them." said Francis, leading Ludwig towards a table where a boy with trunk brown hair and leaf green eyes was sitting. When he saw Ludwig, a worried look began to grow on his face, only for a moment. The flash of concern was replaced with a sad smile as he greeted Ludwig.

"I'm Antonio Hernandez Carriedo,"he said. This accent was Spanish. "I'm not as well known as these two, but I don't care." Ludwig smiled politely as he introduced himself.

"Now, let's get down to business," said Arthur, pulling out a piece of paper and a pen. "The rules. since our fathers fund the school, we have the right to make our own rules. Of course, the school has their rules that everyone has to follow, it is the same with ours." Thinking it was reasonable, Ludwig made it known that he understood. Arthur handed Ludwig the piece of paper so he could read over the rules.

"THE GOLDEN RULES

The student must respect Arthur Kirkland, Francis Bonnefoy, and Antonio Hernandez Carriedo as if they were teachers.

You must pay tribute to Arthur Kirkland without asking questions if you want quality respect.

No talking to delinquents, slackers or any one acquainted with them.

Anyone failing to follow these rules will be punished."

Ludwig looked up from the paper to show that he has finished reading.

"We have enforcers," Francis started, "they make sure our rules are followed."

"Be careful, they tend to be a bit... brutal," Arthur sneered. Ludwig didn't notice the sneer. "Now, if you can here to indicate that you understand and that you will follow these rules." Arthur handed Ludwig a pen. In graceful strokes, Ludwig signed his name. Arthur, with a smug smile, took the contract and placed it in a bright orange folder. "Thank you very much sir. Have a nice day." Arthur's smirk grew when he exchanged glances with Francis, who also wore a smile, and Antonio, whose expression was unreadable. Ludwig thanked them and left for his first class.

Half his day passed by smoothly. His first class, pre-calculus was pretty easy to him. His grandfather claims that he is a genius, but Ludwig just studies intensely. In his second class, which was English, they began to read _The Scarlet Letter. _Ludwig already read it multiple times, his own copy, given to him by Gilbert, as snuggled up on his bookshelf.

Then lunch crept up in the middle of class. Ludwig had his own lunch, leftover knödels and wurst, and he stood in the middle of a grassy area, not knowing where to sit. The late August breeze ruffled his slicked-back hair as he looked around, hoping to find a specific friendly , he heard a friendly voice call out to him

Ludwig spotted the golden eyed Italian and his brother, sitting in the dancing shade of a swaying tree. Feliciano was gesturing for ludwig to sit with them, and he did, giving them a curt greeting.

"I'm very glad you have this lunch, Luddy How was your day so far?" Feliciano asked, wearing a smile, as always, and trying to open a container. There was probably some pasta in that container.

"It's been good so far, my classes have been fairly easy," relied Ludwig.

"What classes do you have today?" Ludwig told him: Pre-Calculus, Advanced Junior English, and Advanced Physics. Feliciano gazed at him in awe. "I'm not smart enough to even maintain a good grade in my regular classes. They always end up as C's," Feliciano didn't look too happy about that, though he still wore a smile.

"If you want, I can help you," Ludwig offered. The smile grew on Feliciano's face as he nodded enthusiastically.

"Think you can come over soon? I really need help with some algebra homework."

"I can come over tomorrow. Today i have to help my Opa with the truck," replied Ludwig. Feliciano exclaimed in happiness and thanked him.

"Feli!" Ludwig caught sight of two boys, twins, to be exact, walking towards them. Both had golden blonde hair, blue eyes, and both wore glasses. One of them had shorter hair with a small blonde lock sticking up from where his hair parted, and he wore a bomber jacket. The other one was shyly holding a stuffed polar bear and a curl hung down from where his hair parted.

"Hi Alfred!" Feliciano called, telling the twins to sit down next to them. "Hi Mattie!" Matthew, the shy one, gave him a tiny smile.

"Who's this? A new kid?" Alfred asked, sitting beside Ludwig.

"I'm Ludwig, nice to meet you," Ludwig said. Alfred stared at Ludwig for a moment and obnoxiously burst into contagious laughter.

"I like him already! I'm Alfred, but you can call me Al. This is my brother, Matthew," said Alfred, giving Ludwig a firm handshake.

"You can call me Matt," he spoke so softly, Ludwig had forgotten that the shy one was there. Alfred's behavior practically ate up Matthew's presence.

"Alfie, what happened to your hand?" Feliciano pointed to a green bruise on the back of Alfred's hand.

"Oh, this? Some thugs tried to mess with Matt, but I taught them a lesson," Alfred responded, mimicking boxing moves.

"What were they trying to do to you, Matt?" Lovino asked. Matt embarrassingly shifted the polar bear in his arms. Ludwig began to wonder why he carried the bear around.

"They tried to take my bear..." Matt's face flushed in embarrassment.

"They know what happens when Matt doesn't have his bear. They were trying to mess with his head, so I interfered," Alfred explained.

"What happens when his bear is taken away?" Ludwig asked quietly. No one heard him, so he remained quiet and let his curiosity slip away.

"Those meanies! Why would they bother you, Mattie? You did _nothing_ to them!" Feliciano pouted. It was the first time Feliciano didn't display a smile on his face.

"I-I think they don't like me," Matthew said quietly, burying his face into the bear.

"If they were sent by that nasty trio, I'll show them what it _really_ means to be a delinquent," Alfred muttered menacingly. Ludwig's eyes snapped up to Alfred's face.

"Delinquent-?" Ludwig quietly questioned.

"What's that?" Alfred cluelessly asked.

"Oh, uh, nothing, I have to go to the library," Ludwig said. "I'll see you guys later." He quickly stood up and left the group in a hurry.

Many questions ran through his mind, but the recurrent one was, "Feliciano is acquainted with a delinquent?" Feeling a bit disappointed, Ludwig sat on a flight of stairs near the library and took a deep breath. "That was close," thought Ludwig. "Feliciano is acquainted with a delinquent... But... He is such a nice fellow. I also promised I would help him tomorrow."

The echo of a clap startled Ludwig and he looked up behind him to see who was clapping. Coming down the stairs, slamming his hands together in a rhythmic gesture, Arthur held an absolute smirk on his face. Ludwig's heart dropped to the floor as a mild wave of nervous nausea rolled in. There was a glint of menace shining in Arthur's eyes.

"Good job," Arthur said, leaning against the rails. Ludwig gave him a questioning look. "In spotting a delinquent and staying away. If you keep this up, we might reward you." The tone in Arthur's voice sent goosebumps throughout Ludwig's body. the notes he spit out hit every one of Ludwig's fight-or-flight nerves, and he didn't like it one bit.

The bell rang. Arthur Patted Ludwig on the shoulder and left for class. Ludwig hesitantly made his way back to his class.

The rest of the day drifted by in a blur. Ludwig couldn't get the look in Arthur's eyes out of his mind as he was walking home. Why did they look like that-?

After an hour or so, Ludwig arrived home. The walk home from school took too long, Ludwig is wondering whether his grandfather got the oil or not.

"Welcome home, Ludwig," greeted Heinrich as he closed the lid of the truck.

"Hello Opa," replied Ludwig, "did you get the oil?"

"Yes, the truck is ready to go," Heinrich wiped his hands on a dirty rag. "You can take it anywhere now, like school."

"Well that's good. Someone wants me to help him with his homework."

"You've already made friends?"

"It's those Italian boys I told you about."

"Oh! Well that's great! When?"

"Tomorrow after school."

"Ah, okay. That's good. Well it's dinner time. I'll go make some food."

At the end of the day, when it was time to turn in, Ludwig thought about tutoring. Should he do it?

Ludwig closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Ch 3

It was the following afternoon and the late summer breeze was rolling about. Ludwig was driving his grandfather's truck and Feliciano was on the passenger's side, his head sticking out, letting the wind play with his auburn hair, on their way to the little farm where Feliciano and Lovino live with their grandfather. Lovino was sulking in the back, staring out the window, losing himself in dreamland.

"So is it that little house to the right?" Ludwig asked Feliciano. Nodding, Feliciano brought his head back in and smiled back at Lovino.

"This beats riding the bus, doesn't it, Lovino?" Feliciano examined the interior in wonder. He then began to chatter off about some people on the bus and how he and Lovino are always the last ones off. "Oh! Look! It's Grandpa Max!" Feliciano pointed at an older man riding a bike. Feliciano stuck out the upper half of his body, causing Ludwig to yell at him to get back inside. Feliciano ignored him and called out, "Ciao nonno!" Feliciano waved vigorously as they drove by the older man. Sitting back down on the seat, Feliciano turned the the slightly irritated Ludwig. "That's our grandpa! He's really fun, You'll like him!" Ludwig grunted. He was annoyed with Feliciano for pulling a stunt like that. "A-are you mad at me?" The worried tone made Ludwig's irritation slip away.

"I'm not mad at you. Just don't do that again. I don't want you falling out."

"Oh, Okay."

Taking a right, Ludwig eased the truck next to the small house. The old man followed suit. He got off his bike and let it rest on the house, then pulled out a bag of groceries that were in the basket and strolled towards the truck as the boys got off.

"You must be Ludwig!" The man had the heaviest Italian accent out of all three. His voice was loud and full of life. "My name is Maximo Vargas, but you can just call me grandpa Max!" Max and Ludwig shook hands as Feliciano skipped ahead to open the door. Max suddenly stared at Ludwig in confusion with a hint of what Ludwig thought was recognition, but shook his head and smiled. "I'm very glad you want to help my grandson with his math. If he fails, he won't be able to graduate on time and follow his dream."

Both entered a gate where a row of rose bushes were lined against the fence and a nice green lawn was interrupted by a small sidewalk leading to the front door.

"What's his dream?" asked Ludwig. Max smiled and simply said "You'll see." They entered the house after Lovino and what Ludwig saw left him in awe.

Paintings of sunsets and landscapes covered the walls of the living room. Acrylic faces smiled from what was once a white expanse of nothingness.

Ludwig walked around the living room, gazing at the paintings. He stopped in front of a painting of a woman with long brown hair and hazel eyes.

"That's my daughter, Renata, Lovino and Feliciano's mother. She died when Feliciano was just in kindergarten. It's a wonder he remembers her face perfectly." Max smiled sadly at Ludwig. Ludwig looked back at the portrait. Feliciano and Lovino take after their mother, gently edged face and innocent eyes.

"Hey Luddy!" Feliciano called from the kitchen. "Do you want anything to drink?"

"Just water, thank you." Ludwig continued to gaze at the paintings. He stopped at an easel situated by the front window and stared at the base of a new face. It couldn't be either of the brothers because both had soft features. The painting had a strong jawline and a prominent chin. It's as if though he's seen this shape his whole life...

"Here you go, Luddy!" Feliciano walked up to him, holding a glass of crisp, clear water. Ludwig took the glass and thanked him.

"Who's this?" asked Ludwig, pointing at the painting. He thought he saw Feliciano's face turn red, but he wasn't sure.

"Um, it's someone... vague." Feliciano laughed nervously. Ludwig raised an eyebrow in question.

"You two stop flirting, and let's get started with homework," Lovino was leaning against the doorway to the kitchen. Ludwig slightly blushed, even though he knew they weren't flirting. Feliciano laughed again, but this time it wasn't nervous.

"C'mon Ludwig!" Feliciano grabbed Ludwig's hand and dragged him towards a small dining table in the kitchen. Lovino already had his books out for studying. Feliciano grabbed his backpack and started searching for his homework. "Oh no! I can't find my homework! I'm pretty sure I stuffed it in here!" Peeking into the backpack, Ludwig nearly gasped at how stuffed it was. It was a hurricane of papers and notes. Feliciano began to take out wads of papers until he found his homework. "I found it!" Feliciano grabbed the wad he had pulled out and was about to stuff it back in when Ludwig stopped him.

"What are you doing?" Ludwig asked, eyebrows arched in confusion.

"I'm putting this back...?" Feliciano resembled a puppy, huge eyes staring directly into Ludwig's. Ludwig couldn't help but feel something blossom in his heart as he tried to find his next words. Wind softly rustled the curtains though the open kitchen window as seconds ticked away. Ludwig could not stray away from the golden eyes that always attract and warm the soul with the promise of innocence and trust.

"Hey." Lovino's voice yanked Ludwig back from his hypnotized reverie. Ludwig blankly glanced at Lovino as he glared back. Ludwig quickly regained his train of thought.

"Don't just shove the papers back in," Ludwig quickly said. "You should be more organized. Here," he pulled out an empty 2-inch binder from his backpack and a packet of new dividers. "I'll help you organize after we finish." Feliciano nodded vigorously as Ludwig pulled out a few loose-leaf papers.

After an hour of teaching, working, reteaching, and checking, Feliciano finished his homework with confidence of earning a good grade.

"Thank you so much! I'm going to practice some more!" Feliciano opened up his math book and began to work out some problems for practice (and extra credit). Lovino stared at him incredulously. He then explained to Ludwig that Feliciano was too lazy to work extra problems for practice. Smiling at the fact that he's motivating Feliciano with school, Ludwig checked his work and helped him organize. Max walked into the kitchen, whistling. He watched his youngest grandson work hard, and smiled.

"Would you like to stay for dinner? We are having lasagna," Max offered.

"I don't want to impose-"

"C'mon! Stay for dinner! It will be fun and grandpa's lasagna is the best," Feliciano begged with his puppy eyes, threatening to make Ludwig lose himself in them, again.

"I'll have to call my Opa to tell him I'm staying for dinner," Ludwig said. Feliciano clapped his hands in happiness, Lovino didn't care, much, and Max happily patted Ludwig on the back as he led him to the house phone. Ludwig called his grandfather and told him he's staying for dinner.

"Have fun, be back before ten," Heinrich said.

"I will."

"Oh, can I also speak to Mr. Vargas?" Ludwig said yes and looked for Max.

"My grandfather would like to speak to you," said Ludwig, handing the phone to Max.

"Hello?" Max walked off into the living room as Ludwig sat down next to Feliciano, who was distributing the lasagna.

"Feli, you're drooling. Lovino said. Feliciano wiped his mouth and apologized to Ludwig for being rude.

"I do that too when it comes to cakes," Ludwig admitted as a square piece of lasagna was placed on his plate. "Especially the ones my grandfather makes for his bakery."

"You're grandfather's a baker?" Feliciano asked, eyes twinkling in delight.

"Yes, his own little bakery by our house, and I sometimes help. Before he retired to become a baker, he used to be-"

"A doctor." All three boys turned to look at the kitchen door. Max was standing there with an unreadable expression on his face. "I-I owe him so much." Tears glittered the man's lashes. "He tended to my daughter during her last moments of life." Then Max stared at Ludwig again. "No wonder you looked familiar. You're the spitting image of your grandfather, though younger." He was pulled pulled back to the past again. "He comforted her, he even promised to take care of Lovi and Feli, even though we were strangers... I..." Max wiped away the tears that were threatening to cascade from his eyes. "I then took them away and... that _horrible _event happened," tears spilled and glided down his cheeks. "Oh, I was horrible for that-"

"Aw, nonno," Feliciano got up from his place at the table and went to his grandfather. "Come, sit and eat some delicious lasagna!" Feliciano led his distraught grandfather to the table. "Besides, Luddy is here! Let's enjoy his company and sing and dance!" He then grabbed a napkin and wiped away some of the tears. "Besides, sad doesn't suit you." Max smiled and nodded.

"You're right Feli, let's sit and eat!"

* * *

Ludwig was driving home, smiling to himself. The Vargas family really know how to entertain guests. After dinner, Max brought out his guitar and began to sing an Italian love song. Feliciano sang along while he and Lovino watched. Then the rhythm changed and Feliciano forced Ludwig to dance with him. Feliciano flawlessly danced while Ludwig kept tripping over his own two feet. Then Feliciano guided him through the steps pf the dance. Ludwig was still a little sloppy with the steps, but he promised Feliciano he would practice.

It was almost ten when Ludwig arrived home. He kept humming the little tune he and Feliciano danced to as he walked into his home.

"Welcome home Ludwig," Heinrich said, looking up from the book he was reading.

"Hello Opa," replied Ludwig, smiling. He set down his backpack near the staircase, humming.

"You seem jolly tonight. How was it with the Vargas family?" Heinrich inquired, watching as Ludwig sat on the chair next to him.

"They are excellent hosts. For dinner, we ate lasagna, which was delicious, and then they began to sing. Feliciano made me dance with him," Ludwig went quiet for a bit and thought. The leaves lightly tapped at the window, motivated by the wind's influence. "Why did you want to talk to Mr. Vargas? It caused him to remember a few things and got sad."

Heinrich remained quiet for a bit before responding. "I asked him if he was the Maximo Vargas that I met ten years ago, at the emergency room where I was tending to a miss Renata Vargas." Heinrich closed his eyes and let that certain memory flood in. "I remember that day too well. Maximo Vargas was holding his two grandsons, crying, muttering in Italian. The boys, so young, too young to lose their mother, were also crying. This happened a month after your father had died, so I understood their pain. So I walked up to them to comfort them. He asked 'Is my Renata going to be alright?' He already knew, he could see the answer in my eyes, but he asked for the sake of the boys. 'We're doing the best that we can, Mr. Vargas,' I answered. The smallest boy, Feliciano, I'm assuming, was about to ask me something but a nurse urgently needed me and I told him to ask me later. He nodded and watched as I left in a hurry. I tended to the patient who needed attention and went back. 'Can we see Renata?' I nodded and led them to the room she was in. I thought maybe if she saw her sons, she would gain strength."

Ludwig asked, "What happened to her?"

"She was in a terrible car accident. When her father sat next to her, she immediately asked for her boys. 'They're fine, Renata, they're with me,' he replied. 'Mama!' the smallest one cried out. Maximo set both boys on his lap and both held their mother's hand. 'My boys,' she whispered, 'please take care of your grandpa.' The older one squeezed her hand and said, 'We will, but with you.' She smiled weakly and looked at her father. 'Papa, please take care of them a-and let them know- that I will always- love them-' Tears leaked from from his eyes as he blinked to keep them from falling. 'I promise,' he swore. Then the beeping of the heart monitor flat-lined I immediately rushed to her and tried to revive her, but she was already gone. 'Renata? Renata? Wake up... Rena-ta...' He set the boys down as he stood up. He gingerly held her face in his hands as he fell to the floor, and broke out in heart-wrenching sobs."

"'Mister Doctor sir?' I heard the younger one say. 'What is it, little one?' I asked. 'Is mama in heaven?' My heart broke oh so more. I didn't have the heart to say a word, so I just nodded. Fresh tears fell from all of them. 'I'll leave you with her..' With my heart heavy with pain, I left to do some paperwork. I couldn't focus on it, though. Empathy sometimes crushes your heart with memories... I promised Max, who was poor at the time, I'd help him with the boys, but he moved away. What a coincidence we'd end up living in the same town ten years later." There was a moment of silence. Ludwig didn't know what to say, but he felt the empathy that gripped his being. He and Feliciano had more in common than he thought. They lost their parent at a young age. Ludwig lost his father to terminal cancer, oh the pain he felt back then, even though he was only five, and Feliciano lost his mother in a car accident. "It's past ten. You should get ready to go to bed." Ludwig nodded and headed upstairs.

While brushing his teeth, Ludwig thought about his grandfather's story. His heart ached immensely and wanted to hold his friend tightly. Ludwig looked up at the mirror and stared at his own eyes, looking deeply into his own soul.

"Poor Feli," Ludwig left the bathroom to sit in his room. "I wonder what he felt when he painted his mother."

A sudden rush of apprehension came over him as the "Golden Rules" crossed his mind. "I'm not directly involved with a delinquent, so I guess it will be okay to remain friends with Feliciano," Ludwig thought about it for a while. A small spark of conflicting feelings began to glow within Ludwig as he lay down to sleep. "I mean, he's a good friend, even though he is a bit ditsy. I- I honestly don't know."

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**(A/N) Whatever you do, _do not_ read this chapter while listening to "Terrible Things" by Mayday Parade on repeat.**

**The song came on while I was typing up the chapter and I had to stop for a bit because I was in the verge of tears.**

**But if you want a more emotional experience, you can do so.**


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